Author: Emily Martin

The Twistiest Mystery Marisha Pessl Has Ever Written and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date April 12, 2024

Sponsored by

Hi, Book Friends!

Welcome to another Monday Book Radar. It’s been a great month for books so far, and I have a bunch of book news to share with you this week, so let’s just skip the small talk and get right to the book talk. Let’s go!

Book Deals and Reveals

Marisha Pessl has announced her next novel, Darkly. The author told her followers on Instagram, “I am so proud of this book — it’s one of the most personal, twisty, gutting mysteries I’ve ever written and I cannot wait for you to survive every twist and turn — and live to tell the tale…” It’s out this November!

Tor Nightfire shared the cover of American Rapture by CJ Leede. The art is by Carly Janine Mazur, and the design is by Christine Foltzer. It’s out on October 15.

And Penguin Teen has shared the cover of Preeti Ghhibber’s upcoming revenge romance YA novel Payal Mehta’s Romance Revenge Plot. It’s out on September 24.

Clay McLeod Chapman has a new horror novel coming out in January 2025! Wake Up and Open Your Eyes is out from Quirk Books on January 7 and is available for preorder now.

Here’s the trailer for the upcoming Apple TV+ series Dark Matter, based on the novel by Blake Crouch. The first episode airs on May 8.

People has the exclusive cover reveal of Loreal Palmer’s upcoming memoir, Keep Living. It’ll be out on May 14.

Venus Williams has announced a new health and wellness book, STRIVE. The tennis star says she hopes to share the tips and tricks that helped her. It’s out on September 10.

And here’s the cover reveal for Homeseeking by Karissa Chen. It will be published by Putnam on January 7th, 2025.

Reactor has an exclusive cover reveal and excerpt from Alexis Henderson’s upcoming novel An Academy for Liars. This dark academia novel is out from Ace/Penguin Random House on September 17.

Here are the book club picks for April 2024. Which ones will you be reading?

The 2024 International Booker Prize shortlist has been announced! The International Booker Prize 2024 ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. EST on Tuesday, May 21st. The event will be live-streamed on the book prizes’ channels.

Book Riot Recommends

Hi, welcome to everyone’s favorite segment of Book Radar called Book Riot Recommends. This is where I’ll talk to you about all the books I’m reading, the books I’m loving, and the books I can’t wait to read and love in the near future. I think you’re going to love them too!

Looking to elevate your reading life? Tailored Book Recommendations is here to help with handpicked recommendations. Tell the Bibliologists at Tailored Book Recommendations about what you love and what you don’t. You can get your recommendations via email or receive hardcovers or paperbacks in the mail. And with quarterly or annual plans available, TBR has something for every budget. Plans start at just $18! Subscribe today.

Prepare Your Shelves!

My Darling Dreadful Thing by Johanna Van Veen (Poisoned Pen Press, May 14)

Do you think you’re close with your friends? Well! Imagine if you had a friend who could actually possess your body. The only thing that Roos Beckman likes about her life is Ruth, her spirit companion that only she can see. Roos uses her abilities to connect with the spirit world to conduct questionable séances where she and her mother feed on the vulnerability of people grieving their loved ones.

But everything changes for Roos when she meets Agnes. Agnes Knoop is a wealthy young widow who also has a spirit companion. Realizing that they are kindred spirits, Agnes invites Roos to come live with her at the crumbling estate she inherited from her dead husband. Agnes and Roos quickly form a deep bond with one another. When someone ends up dead, Roos’ sanity is questioned, and she’s forced to choose between her love for Agnes and her deep bond with Ruth.

This debut gothic novel is deliciously dark and wonderfully sapphic. And, while you could compare this to other gothic horror stories like Crimson Peak and The Warm Hands of Ghosts, I think this book is doing so many things that feel entirely new. See for yourself when this book comes out next month!

What I’m Reading This Week

While We Were Burning by Sara Koffi

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

The Trees Grew Because I Bled There by Eric LaRocca

Crossroads by Laurel Hightower

How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin

Monday Memes

What’s the appeal of boarding school books? Do you think this is it? Let me know!

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

tuxedo cat yawning in front of bookshelf

This is my whole life right now. Remy being silly. Books. And marathoning The Traitors. Not the worst way to spend a weekend. Hope yours was good, too!

And now for the week ahead…I hope you have a wonderful one, and I’ll see you again on Thursday for another round of everything books!

Emily

The Fright Stuff

Horror Caught on Camera

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date April 12, 2024

Sponsored by

Happy Monday, Fear Fanatics!

It’s me, Emily, your fellow horrorphile, here to chat with you about all things scary. I just watched one of the latest true crime documentaries on Netflix, What Jennifer Did, which got me thinking about horror novels with documentary sensibilities. Because there are quite a few. Stay tuned for some of my faves.

Bookish Goods

Dracula Clock by WaveFromTheGrave

While Dracula isn’t really a found-footage or a documentary-style novel, it is epistolary. And, hey, letters were basically the found footage of the Victorian era. So, to celebrate Bram Stoker’s Dracula, which we have just established is the first found footage horror novel ever, grab yourself one of these super cool swinging pendulum Dracula clocks. You’ll be the envy of all your vampire friends for only $46.

New Releases

Indian Burial Ground by Nick Medina

You’ll also hear me mention this one on this week’s All the Books podcast. Noemi Broussard longs to leave the reservation she grew up on behind, but her plans are dashed when her boyfriend, Roddy, dies under mysterious circumstances. Everyone assumes it was by suicide, but to Noemi, the story just isn’t adding up. Something strange is happening on the reservation, and Noemi is determined to get to the bottom of it, no matter how terrifying the truth may be.

Weird Black Girls by Elwin Cotman

From Philip K. Dick Award finalist Elwin Cotman comes a thought-provoking short story collection that explores the horrors of living in the world as a Black person. These seven literary horror stories call upon the fantastical and the supernatural to explore the very real fears and anxieties of being Black in our contemporary world. From a town controlled by a violent tree that punishes children to a day of LARPing that takes a surprising turn, these inventive stories will definitely surprise you.

Looking for more new releases? Check out our New Books newsletter!

Riot Recommendations

The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson

I am such a huge fan of Tiffany D. Jackson, and this book is one of the many reasons why. While you might have heard that The Weight of Blood is a retelling of Carrie, what you might not know is that this version of the story is told in the style of a true crime podcast. As the podcast retraces the events that lead up to one fateful (and deadly) prom, the question is never who is responsible, but why did she do it?

A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

We’re ending with what is probably my favorite documentary-style horror novel. I know I’ve mentioned it before, and this won’t be the last time. This story uses reality television and online commentary to tell the story of The Barretts, a seemingly normal suburban family dealing with what might be a demonic possession. With nowhere else to turn, the family agrees to become a part of a reality TV program called The Possession.

Who said reality TV can’t be scary? I’ll be back next week with more horror new releases and recommendations. Until then, you can follow me (and message me) on Instagram at emandhercat. Sweet dreams, horror fans!

Book Radar

Amy Adams Stars in NIGHTBITCH This December and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date April 10, 2024

Sponsored by

Hi, Booky Friends!

How are we doing on this fine Thursday? I’ve been home taking care of my husband a lot over the past several weeks, and you’d think I’d use this time to do more reading. And I have a little bit. But I’ve also been watching every season of The Traitors. I watched all the US ones, and now I’m on the UK show, and I’m moving on to Australia next. Anyone else into this show? Please reach out! But in the meantime, let’s talk books.

Book Deals and Reveals

a sunny place for shady people book cover

Hogarth Books has shared the “delectably spooky” cover of Mariana Enriquez’s upcoming short story collection, A Sunny Place for Shady People. It’s out on September 17!

Nightbitch is coming to theaters on December 6! This film adaptation of Rachel Yoder’s novel stars Amy Adams and was written for the screen and directed by Marielle Heller.

Angie Kim’s Happiness Falls is being made into a TV series! Ethan Hawke and his wife, producer Ryan Shawhughes, will executive produce the project.

Renée Zellweger, Hugh Grant, and Emma Thompson are returning for Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy. Director Michael Morris is also returning for the project, and Chiwetel Ejiofor and Leo Woodall will also star.

Bestselling author Jennifer Weiner has signed with Verve for film and TV representation. “I’m thrilled to be working with Verve. I am so impressed by the energy and passion of the team, and excited about the possibilities of sharing my stories with audiences around the world,” Weiner said in a statement.

Read an exclusive excerpt from Daniel Aleman’s I Might Be in Trouble. This is Aleman’s first adult novel. It’s out this December.

Rupi Kaur is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of her bestselling poetry collection milk and honey with a new collector’s edition and a new cover! The new edition of the collection will include an additional chapter of poetry and illustrations, as well as a fresh introduction by Kaur. It’s out on October 1.

The ALA has released its report of the most-challenged books of 2023. Time to read all of them!

And now that we’re a quarter of the way through 2024 (WHAAAAT?), here are the best and buzziest nonfiction books of the year, so far.

Book Riot Recommends

Can’t Wait for This One!

The City in Glass by Nghi Vo (Tordotcom, October 1)

If you haven’t picked up a Nghi Vo novel yet, here’s what you can expect: inventive and thought-provoking speculative fiction. Beautiful writing. Stories that redefine genre expectations. You think you know what you’re getting into, but you will be surprised. And that’s why I can’t wait for Nghi Vo’s latest, The City in Glass, coming out this fall.

Set in the fantasy city of Azril, The City in Glass is the story of an immortal demon named Vitrine. After the city is burned to the ground, Vitrine is left to mourn everything lost, with nothing but a book containing the names of those now gone and an angel that is now bound to her. Together, angel and demon will discover the secrets of Azril and rebuild the city together. But when war threatens to destroy everything they’ve built, Vitrine and her angel must work together to protect the city they’ve grown to love so much.

This is a story of rage, love, grief, and redemption. I have complete faith in Nghi Vo’s ability to build a compelling fantasy world in only 224 pages (we love a short fantasy novel — what a breath of fresh air). And I can’t wait to read this one!

Words of Literary Wisdom

“Man mistakes his own experiences as the canvas on which all truths are drawn.”

— The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

You always have to share when two cats are chilling out together. Remy has such little brother energy, though. It’s very clear Murray was sitting here first and then Remy decided to sidle up next to him. Just look at who is relaxed here and who is a little unsettled, waiting for approval.

And that’s all for today, friends! See you Monday! Happy reading this weekend!

Emily

The Fright Stuff

It’s Giving ALIEN: Sci-Fi Meets Horror

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date April 5, 2024

Sponsored by

Happy Monday, horror fans! Today, I just want to jump right into the theme. We have a new release coming out this week that’s a sci-fi/horror mash-up, and it got me thinking about why sci-fi and horror mix so well together. For instance, Alien is one of the scariest movies I have ever seen, probably because aliens are for sure real, and they might be big and scary and violent. And that’s the thing about sci-fi. Technically all of it could be real, either now or at some point. So, this week we’re looking at titles that are giving sci-fi/horror Alien vibes. I couldn’t be more excited.

Bookish Goods

Xenomorph Pen Holder by TilloLabsStore

Yes, Alien is a movie, but there are also books (more on that later), so you can absolutely include a xenomorph pen holder in your bookish horror collection. Now, you might be too scared to pull a pen out of this thing to use it. I would be. But isn’t it cool? $30.

New Releases

The Gathering by C. J. Tudor

Here’s the only book this week that isn’t sci-fi, but it’s too good not to share. When a young boy is found dead and all the blood drained from his body, the citizens of the small Alaskan town Deadhart know what happened to him. And who was responsible. A death like this hasn’t occurred in the past 25 years, but everyone knows about the Colony, a community of vampyrs living deep in the woods.

Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes

And yes, this is the book that inspired this week’s theme. This new horror sci-fi mash-up is set on an abandoned planet. Here, psychologist Dr. Ophelia Bray will establish residency with a small exploration crew. Ophelia hopes to help the crew recover from the recent loss of their colleague, who died under tragic circumstances. But not long after the group arrives on the planet, it becomes clear to Ophelia that the crew is hiding something. They seem uninterested in opening up to Ophelia about what happened, instead spending their days exploring this strange and mysterious planet. Then, their pilot is violently murdered, and despite the lack of trust amongst the group, they must now all work together to figure out what happened.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

We Have Always Been Here by Lena Nguyen

Dr. Grace Park has been appointed to the survey ship The Deucalion to observe the 13 crew members aboard. They’re all headed to an icy planet called Eos in an unexplored galaxy. But, before they even get there, tensions are building between Park and the rest of the crew. She finds herself befriending the androids on the ship, preferring their company to that of the human crew members. When they land, things only get worse. The crew gets trapped by a storm with no means of communication or escape, and the androids start behaving strangely.

Aliens: Vasquez by V. Castro

You know we had to include an actual Aliens book if we’re going to talk about sci-fi/horror, right? This is the origin story of Jenette Vasquez, written by Latina horror author V. Castro. Jenette Vasquez’s children Ramon and Leticia were raised by Jenette’s sister. As adults, Leticia followed in her mother’s footsteps and joined the military, while Ramon joined the corporate hierarchy of Weyland-Yutani. Their stories converge when both Ramon and Leticia arrive on an unnamed planet.

Good luck sleeping after reading these books. I’ll be back next week with more horror new releases and recommendations. Until then, you can follow me (and message me) on Instagram at emandhercat. Sweet dreams, horror fans!

Book Radar

Ghosts and Ghostwriters in Samantha Allen’s New Novel and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date April 5, 2024

Sponsored by

It’s Monday, Book Friends!

Welcome to it, and welcome to another week of book news, book chat, and all the book things. So grab a cup of coffee, get settled in a comfy chair, and let’s get into all things bookish. There’s a lot to talk about today, and I’m excited to get into it.

Book Deals and Reveals

Zando has revealed the cover of Samantha Allen’s upcoming novel Roland Rogers Isn’t Dead Yet. It’s the story of ghostwriter Adam Gallagher, who is helping A-list actor Roland Rogers come out of the closet once and for all. The catch? Roland Rogers is a ghost. This one is out on September 10.

I know there are a lot of Annihilation fans out there. So you’ll be excited to know that the fourth book in Jeff VanDerMeer’s Southern Reach series is coming! Check out the cover of Absolution. It’s out on October 22.

Author Melissa Blair is wrapping up her romantasy series, the Halfling Saga, with An Honored Vow, and People has all the details and a cover reveal. An Honored Vow will be published in 2025.

Olivia Wilde is set to direct the Margot Robbie-produced adaptation of Avengelyne, the comic book series created by Deadpool‘s Rob Liefeld and Cathy Christian.

Here’s the trailer for Turtles All the Way Down, the upcoming Max adaptation of John Green’s 2017 YA novel. The film will stream on Max starting on May 2.

The 2024 Pen/Faulkner Award winner has been announced! And, it’s What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez by Claire Jiménez. In addition to the award, Ramirez will be granted $15,000. The other finalists—Jamel Brinkley, Henry Hoke, Alice McDermot, and Colin Winnette— will receive $5,000 each.

Indie Bookstore Day is coming on April 27, and you can celebrate with Libro.fm! From 4/22 to 4/28, there will be a massive audiobook sale on the site, with many titles for $5 or less. Additionally, for the whole month, customers can get TWO free audiobook credits when they sign up for a new membership in support of their bookstore with the code SWITCH. Don’t forget to support your local bookstore! Five hundred Golden Tickets (good for 12 free Libro.fm audiobooks) will be hidden by participating partner bookstores on the 27th. Have fun, friends.

Book Riot Recommends

Prepare Your Shelves!

All Things Seen and Unseen by RJ McDaniel

Look, I am a sucker for a good haunted house novel. That’s what first drew me in to RJ McDaniel’s debut queer horror novel, but this book was much more character-driven and introspective than what I was expecting. This really worked for me and made it different from any other haunted house story I’ve ever read. In fact, calling it a haunted house book is boxing it in way too much. There’s a lot going on here. There’s also a magic forest! So like, definitely check this one out when it comes out later this month. You will not be disappointed.

But what is it about, you ask? All Things Seen and Unseen follows Alex Nguyen, a chronically ill college student whose life is quickly unraveling. Following a recent suicide attempt and a long hospitalization, Alex finds herself without a job, without a romantic relationship, without money to pay for school, and without a place to live. Then, she’s offered a lifeline in the form of a job housesitting for the summer at a mansion on a gulf island. But the mansion — surrounded by a mysterious (and possibly magic) forest and an unsettling, insular community — brings back traumatic memories Alex has long repressed.

What I’m Reading This Week

The Sun Sets in Singapore by Kehinde Fadipe

Immortal Pleasures by V. Castro

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

The Trees Grew Because I Bled There by Eric LaRocca

Crossroads by Laurel Hightower

How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin

Monday Memes

Yeah, I really love astrology memes. Especially when they’re book-related. I will never not share. Especially when they feature Destiny’s Child. I hope you enjoy.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

Murray, an orange cat, is in a paper bag

Well, the cat is definitely NOT out of the bag today. Sorry, I had to.

Murray loves a good paper bag. They’re pretty much his favorite thing. Are your cats like this?

Friends, that’s the end of Monday’s Book Radar. I hope you have a beautiful week. See you Thursday!

Emily

Read This Book

Read This Book…

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date April 4, 2024

Sponsored by

Welcome to Read This Book, your go-to newsletter if you’re looking to expand your TBR pile. Each week, I’ll recommend a book I think is an absolute must-read. Some will be new releases, some will be old favorites, and the books will vary in genre and subject matter every time. I hope you’re ready to get reading!

I’m going to be fully transparent with all of you. March was not an easy month for me. I needed comfort reads, full stop, to get me through the tougher times this month. Does this book seem like it would be a comfort read? Absolutely not. But did it relax me? Somehow. Let me explain.

Diavola by Jennifer Thorne

The Pace family is taking their annual vacation, and this year they’re headed to Montepurso, Italy, where they’ve booked a stay at the beautiful, remote Villa Taccola. The weather is gorgeous. The views are incredible. The food is next level. The wine is flowing all day long. And the locals seem pretty nice. There are even a few neighborhood kids for the young ones to play with. Truly, it would be the ideal vacation…if not for a couple of major issues.

For one, there’s the family dynamics. The Pace family, just like every other family, has their issues. Anna and Benny are twins, but they’re not on the same page. Anna feels like she’s constantly ostracized by the rest of the family for her life choices, and Benny is so go-with-the-flow that he refuses to stick up for her. Meanwhile, their older sister, Nicole, is super controlling and wants to plan every moment of their trip down to the minute. No one else is allowed to say anything about it, and her husband and her two kids are so used to it that they just reinforce her behavior. Then there’s their judgmental mother. And their father just refuses to talk about anything. It’s a weird group of personalities that end up clashing at every turn.

But that’s not all. The Pace family is also contending with supernatural forces in Villa Taccola. Whenever they leave the villa, they come home to strange surprises, like bugs everywhere and furniture overturned. Someone is lurking behind Anna, breathing on her neck when her back is turned, and maybe even licking her? Oh, and those kids Nicole’s daughters have been playing with? They might actually be ghosts. There’s a strange tower in the villa that’s locked away and hidden, but everyone keeps hearing scratching noises on the other side of the door. The villagers try to warn the Paces that something is wrong with that house, but most importantly, they must not open that tower.

This book was such a wild ride that kicked off immediately from page one and then relentlessly delivered scares all the way to the last paragraph. But somehow, Diavola also fit in a lot more. I know this isn’t supposed to be an ideal vacation or anything, but wow, all of the beautiful writing about Italy made me want to go really bad. It felt like a little escape from my really bad month, reading about the food, the wine, the locales, the museums. This book was also really funny! Terrible family vacations are incredibly relatable to everyone, right? You kind of have to laugh at just how bad this particular family vacation is, from start to finish. Funny and engaging family drama, compelling travel writing, and a scary story: this book really has it all.

Happy weekend reading, book fans! Feel free to follow me on Instagram @emandhercat, and check out my other newsletters, The Fright Stuff and Book Radar!

Book Radar

Austin Butler Signs on for Multiple Book Adaptations and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date April 3, 2024

Sponsored by

Hi, Book Friends!

Happy Thursday, and welcome to another round of Book Radar excitement to send you into the weekend. After all, Thursday is Friday Jr., and Friday is basically the weekend, so here we are. Weekend Jr. Are we on the same page? Good. Let’s do this.

Book Deals and Reveals

Reactor has shared the cover of Wen-yi Lee’s lyrical YA horror debut, The Dark We Know. It’s out from Gillian Flynn Books on August 13.

And Nerd Daily has revealed the cover and an excerpt for Libby Cudmore’s Negative Girl. This neo-noir thriller is out on September 10 from Datura Books.

Kelsey Horton at Delacorte has acquired the rights to the latest from Clay McLeod Chapman. In Shiny Happy People, a teen girl notices people around her becoming unnervingly upbeat after a new drug comes to town. It’s out in fall 2025.

Eight writers are the recipients of this year’s Windham-Campbell prizes, worth $175,000. The prizes are awarded across fiction, nonfiction, drama and poetry. Recipients include Deirdre Madden, Kathryn Scanlan, and Hanif Abdurraqib.

Jenna Bush Hager’s Read With Jenna book club pick for April is The Husbands by Holly Gramazio. Jenna told TODAY that the book is “equal parts humor and love story.”

Joan Baez has announced her first-ever poetry book, When You See My Mother, Ask Her to Dance. It’s out on April 30.

Austin Butler is set to star in the upcoming adaptation of Caught Stealing, based on the book by Charlie Huston. Darren Aronofsky is attached to direct.

But there’s more Austin Butler news! The Elvis star will also play the role of a crime boss in the adaptation of Don Winslow’s novel City on Fire. Butler will also produce alongside David Heyman and Shane Salerno.

Book Riot Recommends

Can’t Wait For This One!

One-Star Romance by Laura Hankin (Berkley, June 18)

I recently mentioned one of Laura Hankin’s books on Read This Book. I’m a big fan. And now the author of Happy & You Know It, A Special Place for Women, and The Daydreams is back with another one this June, and yep, I can’t wait.

One-Star Romance is the story of Natalie and Rob, two people who have absolutely nothing in common. But when Rob is the best man and Natalie is the maid of honor at their friends’ wedding, they’re both prepared to set their differences aside. Until right before the wedding, Natalie discovers that Rob has posted a 1-star review of her latest book.

The moment the wedding ends, Natalie and Rob do their best to avoid each other, but life keeps throwing them back together. As their friends celebrate buying a house and having kids, Natalie and Rob are forced to to see each other again and again and again. If someone wrote a negative review about your book, would you be able to forgive them, move past it, and possibly see your perfect match hiding behind the surface of your worst critic? Well, Natalie just might.

Words of Literary Wisdom

“People don’t see things and hear things as objectively as they might think. The visual and auditory information that enters the mind is distorted by experiences, thoughts, circumstances, wild fancies, prejudices, preferences, knowledge, awareness, and countless other workings of the mind.”
— Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

Yes, it’s time for another pic of Murray sleeping peacefully in the bed with a recovering Ben somewhere underneath him. It’s quite the theme we’ve had going on this spring. I hope you enjoy.

And that’s all for now, friends. Have a wonderful weekend, and I’ll see you Monday!

Emily

Book Radar

Harry Styles-Inspired Novel Gets A New Cover and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date March 29, 2024

Sponsored by

Hi, Book Friends!

Happy Monday, and happy April! I’ve said this before, but I love when a month starts on a Monday. It definitely feels like a full fresh start. I know April 1st is technically a “holiday” or whatever, but I’m not into the whole April Fool’s Day thing, so I’m going to skip it and get straight into the book news. This will all be real! Truly!

Book Deals and Reveals

The Idea of You — the Harry Styles-inspired fanfiction that’s been adapted into a film starring Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine — has gotten a fresh new movie tie-in cover. You can buy the new version of Robinne Lee’s novel at the end of this month. The film premieres on Prime Video on May 2.

I wish this was an April Fool’s joke, but Olivia Colman will not be returning for Heartstopper: Season 3. “I couldn’t do number three. I couldn’t fit it in. I feel awful about that,” Colman, who played Nick Nelson’s mother Sarah, told Forbes. “I feel like I was part of one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever been part of.”

Here’s the cover reveal of Westfallen by siblings Ann Brashares and Ben Brashares. This time-travel mystery-thriller is out on September 17.

And here’s the cover of the memoir Pretty, written by Black trans writer KB Brookins. It’s out on May 28.

Stephen Curry is about to star in the first volume of a new graphic novel series, entitled Sports Superheroes Volume #1: Stephen Curry. The series is being published by Penguin Workshop in partnership with Curry’s multimedia company, Unanimous Publishing. The first volume is out on August 13.

Goosebumps actor Miles McKenna is writing a children’s book. The book, titled I Am NOT A Vampire, features illustrations by Riley Samels and will be out on May 6, 2025.

Rebecca Yarros has announced that the third book in the Empyrean series will be released on January 21, 2025. While Yarros has not offered any information about the book just yet, she has announced the title: Onyx Storm.

Paul Yoon has won the 20th annual Story Prize for his latest short story collection, The Hive and the Honey.

The finalists across 26 categories for the 36th annual Lambda Literary Awards have been announced. The winners will be announced at Sony Hall in New York City on June 11, 2024.

Book Riot Recommends

Want to make your book club the best club? Sign up for our In the Club newsletter. In the Club will deliver recommendations for the best books to discuss in your book clubs. From buzzy new releases to brilliant throwbacks, the books highlighted in this newsletter will drive your book club discussions. We’ll also share some book club-friendly recipes and interesting bookish updates from all over. If you become a paid subscriber, you get even more recommendations, plus community features. In other words, we’ll keep you well-met, well-read, and well-fed. Sign up today!

Prepare Your Shelves!

Nosy Neighbors by Freya Sampson (Berkley, April 2)

This one is out tomorrow, so prepare your shelves immediately! Nosy Neighbors is a cozy mystery, but it’s also a little genre-defying. This story is more about the characters than it is about the mystery. And you won’t mind at all, because these characters are so fun.

Twenty-five-year-old Kat Bennett and seventy-seven-year-old Dorothy Darling might seem like complete opposites just by outside appearances. But, both of them are residents of Shelley House, and both of them have somewhat of a reputation for being cold and cantankerous. What’s more, both of them are hiding secrets.

Kat and Dorothy are the kind of neighbors who do their best to avoid one another, but after they discover that Shelley House might be demolished, and when Joseph, Dorothy’s nemesis and Kat’s landlord, is injured, the two both suspect foul play. And so they band together to find out what happened to Joseph and how they can save their home.

What I’m Reading This Week

Diavola by Jennifer Thorne

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

The Sun Sets in Singapore by Kehinde Fadipe

Immortal Pleasures by V. Castro

Monday Memes

How has reading helped your vocabulary, book friends? No, really, HOW? Be honest.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

Ben (my husband) is still mostly in bed recovering from surgery, but he’s got a sweet little cuddle buddy in Murray. Look at his tiny sweet face. He looks so happy.

And that’s all for today, friends. Happy April! See you Thursday.

Emily

The Fright Stuff

Terrorlings: Little Bites of Horror

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date March 29, 2024

Sponsored by

Happy Monday, and welcome to The Fright Stuff! You love horror, don’t you? Of course you do. That’s why you’re here. What about horror novellas and short stories? I love them because they’re a way to get through more creepy stories in a shorter amount of time. Every new little bite of horror is another opportunity to get scared. Let’s call them terrorlings. So, on that note, I have terrorling recs for you this week. I hope you enjoy!

Bookish Goods

we have always lived in the castle roll on oil

We Have Always Lived in the Castle Roll-On Perfume Oil by The Little Book Eater

Do you love the smell of murder? What if it smells like Shirley Jackson’s classic horror novel We Have Always Lived in the Castle? This roll-on perfume oil smells like black coffee, nutmeg, sugared blackberries (no arsenic included!), sandalwood, and smoke. $16.

New Releases

the black girl survives this one book cover

The Black Girl Survives In This One, ed. Desiree S. Evans & Saraciea J. Fennell

We’ve got two new horror short story collections to kick off April! The first is an anthology featuring stories where (you guessed it) the Black girls survive the horrors they are forced to face. Authors include Erin E. Adams, Monica Brashears, Charlotte Nicole Davis, Desiree S. Evans, Saraciea J. Fennell, Zakiya Dalila Harris, Daka Hermon, Justina Ireland, L.L. McKinney, Brittney Morris, Maika & Maritza Moulite, Eden Royce, and Vincent Tirado. The foreword is by Tananarive Due.

This Skin Was Once Mine: And Other Disturbances by Eric LaRocca

If you read Eric LaRocca’s Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and thought, “Okay, this is pretty messed up, but I WANT MORE,” get ready for four even more intense short stories from this Bram Stoker Award-nominated and Splatterpunk Award-winning author.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw

In this spooky terrorling, a group of friends go to a haunted mansion in Japan to hold a wedding. A strange location for a wedding, for sure, but these friends love the fun, scary vibes. But what starts off as a fun celebration turns into something much more terrifying. The hauntings are not just rumors. The ghosts are very, very real.

Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones

Stephen Graham Jones is an author I just mentioned last week, I know, but I had to bring this book up since we’re talking about horror novellas. One night, a 15-year-old boy sees a strange figure walking through his house, someone who resembles the father he lost before they moved from the reservation. As he follows the man through their home over the next few nights, the boy attempts to map out his house…endangering his family in the process.

Okay, these are short ones, so I’m assuming you’ll finish them all and report back next week? Until then, you can follow me (and message me) on Instagram at emandhercat. Sweet dreams, horror fans!

Read This Book

Read This Book…

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date March 28, 2024

Sponsored by

Are you up for a little bit of fun this Friday? Because I think after the dark, twisty, and kinda depressing book I recommended last Friday, it’s time for something a little more fun. If you’re on board, let’s do this.

The Daydreams by Laura Hankin

I’ll be honest, I hopped into this book thinking it was going to give me big The OC vibes. I was super excited about that, especially because I just did a big rewatch of all four seasons. Instead, The Daydreams is more like High School Musical, which I was not mad about at all. If you love early 2000s pop culture, especially early 2000s TV, I think you’ll love this book. This one is also perfect for fans of Daisy Jones and the Six.

Back in 2004 (which was 20 years ago, OMG), a little TV series called The Daydreams launched four young actors into superstardom. There was Summer, the innocent girl next door and the biggest rising star of the show; there was Noah, the leading man, and Summer’s love interest, both on and off the screen; Kat was the show’s villain (think Sharpay, and I promise this will be my last High School Musical reference); and Liana was the best friend. Every week on the show, the foursome would sing and dance and act out a story that bled into their real lives. The world ate up every moment of it. Then, on their live finale, everything fell apart.

Since then, Summer, Noah, Kat, and Liana have all gone in different directions. Noah is an A-list actor. Kat left showbiz to become a successful lawyer. Liana married a famous athlete. And then there’s Summer…whose life following the series has been a bit of a trainwreck.

With everyone hungry for 2000s nostalgia these days, it’s no surprise that the fans begin clamoring for a The Daydreams reunion special. Each of the former stars has their own reasons for agreeing to do the special. But there was also a reason everything became so disastrous all those years ago. Will this reunion be the big moment that heals all of those former wounds? Or will this only dig up old secrets and open up old wounds?

You’ve never seen The Daydreams, obviously. It isn’t a real show. But after you read this book, you’ll feel nostalgic about a show that never existed. From the first to the final page, this book was just such a fun experience. It’s like watching the best 2000s teen show while reading the juiciest celebrity gossip while also catching up with an old friend (or four). I hope you’ll love it as much as I did!

Happy weekend reading, book fans! Feel free to follow me on Instagram @emandhercat, and check out my other newsletters, The Fright Stuff and Book Radar!